Santa Claus?

Hello Friends!

A few years ago, I shared the following “Santa Claus” devotion to a group of volunteers at the Columbus Dream Center and was met with this question: “So, Becky, what does “trust God” look like?”

Allow me to briefly share how I responded to that very important question before you read “Santa Claus.”

First, I’ll tell you what it’s NOT – It’s not a religious response to real-life trials. It’s not pretending the challenge isn’t there or that the pain is not real.

Trust in the Lord God looks like tears flowing as you whisper a prayer of “help!” or praying even as you are emotionally numb from the duration of a trial. It looks like praying for that adult child, laying them in His hands one more time. It’s admitting to the Lord that your faith is shot as you pier into the reality of an addiction overtaking someone you love. It looks like turning TO God when your mind and all you see tells you to give up and turn FROM Him.

In the end, it’s clinging to the one thing we DO know – If He gave the life of His Son for us (dirty-rotten as we are), surely He has earned our trust when nothing else makes sense. (See Romans 8:32)

Merry Christmas to all!

Santa Claus?

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

MATTHEW 18:3 PROVERBS 15:3 ESV

“He sees you when you’re sleeping, He knows when you’re awake, He knows if you’ve been bad or good, So be good for goodness sake!” Why? “Because Santa Claus is comin’ to town!”

How many parents have used that song to encourage children to do everything from clean their rooms to being kind to their siblings? I admit I did! And it worked, you know why? Children are naturally trusting. Assured that if they brush their teeth without being told or put their dinner plate in the sink, that somehow, on Christmas morning they will find an over-flow of packages under the tree. All placed there by a jolly ‘ol man dressed in red and smoking a pipe.

After all, Mom and Dad and all the commercials said so…

Because our God is not a mere myth that bribes us to be good, or a make-believe character that cannot stand the rigors of searching out the Truth of His existence. … my analogy breaks down before I even begin, yet there is a lesson to be pulled from this Norman Rockwell Christmas scene.

Encapsulated in one word. Trust.

Trust when His silence is deafening, when the loneliness is unbearable, when the diagnosis is what you feared, when the answer is “no.” Trust Him when difficult circumstances remain, when sudden trials envelop or hopelessness is palatable. Trust Him. With child-like faith. Trust the Lord God who gave the life of His Son for us, born on Christmas Day. Born to die in our place.

He is at work in your circumstance because you asked Him to be. You may not see the answer right now, but take Him at His word, with child-like faith. Don’t allow what you see (or don’t see) to cast a shadow over His faithfulness.

Prayer is the most tangible expression of trust in God.

– Jerry Bridges

Children trust that they will find presents under the tree – yet there is no evidence of packages anywhere to be found – until the Christmas morning rampage! Our Lord is calling us to a child-like trust that He is good and He is faithful, that He loves us. That He is moved to action by our prayers.

Let’s pray,
Father God, Thank You that You are at work in the situations I have brought to You – Behind the scenes of what my eyes can see, You are in complete control – come what may… I settle it now – I trust You! (Even as You help my unbelief!)

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Enjoy this beautiful rendition of A Hallelujah Christmas by Cloverton

Written by Becky White for my Lord Jesus